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Photo: SuperAgronom.com Harvest
Ukrainian agrarians have harvested 5.47 million tons of grains and legumes of the new harvest from 1.34 million hectares, which is 11% of the projected areas. The largest volumes were obtained by farms in the Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. In several regions, the harvest began earlier due to an early spring, accelerated vegetation, drought, and high temperatures.
This is reported by Kommersant Ukrainian.
The initial yield results generally remain satisfactory. Some farms are harvesting rapeseed with a yield of about 3.5 t/ha, winter barley – 4.5 t/ha, and wheat yields may range from 5 to 7 t/ha. At the same time, spring frosts, heat, and a lack of moisture have already worsened results in some farms, and further indicators will depend on the weather.
Farmers cite the sharp increase in the cost of fuel, fertilizers, and other resources as the main challenges. Some farms are forced to purchase diesel on credit at a price of approximately UAH 87/liter, whereas in the spring, its cost reached UAH 115/liter in some places. The situation is complicated by a shortage of machine operators, the mobilization of workers, and the need to rent equipment at inflated prices.
The primary concern is the Russian attacks on Odesa ports and foreign vessels, which have effectively halted maritime exports. Logistics problems are alreadyPressuring domestic purchase prices. According to agrarians, wheat prices have decreased from UAH 10.7 thousand/ton last autumn to about UAH 8.7 thousand/ton, and in some regions, food grain is being offered for purchase at UAH 5 thousand/ton.
Rapeseed prices at some processing plants have dropped from UAH 26.5 thousand to UAH 23 thousand/ton within a week, while queues form near the plants. Analysts estimate that farmers are losing approximately $70 for every ton of rapeseed. Consequently, producers will likely sell only the minimum volumes necessary to cover loans and finance ongoing operations.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy is discussing the expansion of state support, insurance instruments, and compensation for losses, as well as the procurement of polymer sleeves for temporary grain storage. If export through the ports can be resumed within one to two months, a systemic crisis can be avoided. However, a prolonged halt in sea logistics threatens a deficit in storage capacity and the sale of harvests at prices close to their cost.
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Olena Basanets, SuperAgronom.com
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